25 February 2019

Newsletter Articles

Principal’s Report

A very warm welcome to our entire school community to the 2019 school year. To both our returning and new families I hope you had a fabulous Christmas and summer break with family and friends and together with staff I’m delighted for what 2019 has in stall for everyone at Miami SHS.

We have had a wonderful start to the year and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all parents for the way in which your children have presented in their uniforms and with their equipment ready to learn. Our juniors look absolutely gorgeous in their new formal uniform and are certainly turning heads in the wider community – the feedback has been overwhelming and tremendous! A reminder that the junior formal uniform in 2019 is compulsory when attending non sport excursions off site and when participating in special events and ceremonies on stage in and outside of school.

I would also like to thank the Miami SHS staff who worked prior to day 1 with our 3 day intensive Professional Development Program in order to ensure we were ready from the first bell to set our students up for further success in 2019 – thank you.

Enrolments

Enrolments in 2019 have grown again and we have now almost reached 1400 students. What is particularly pleasing about this is that most of our feeder primary school families are now selecting Miami SHS as their school of choice – which is wonderful to see! Our new timetable structure has certainly helped with facilitating the increase in student numbers and has enabled us to ensure our senior students aren’t disadvantaged with diverse subject choice and specialist rooms, whilst maximising engagement for all students earlier in the day. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of the Miami SHS community for their understanding with this innovative change as it was much needed, and based on student and staff feedback already, it has been positive change.

Senior School Performance

I am thrilled to report that in 2018 Miami SHS achieved its greatest senior results on record with the following outcomes:

• 100% of Year 12 students obtained a Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE)
• 98% of our OP eligible students achieved an OP of 1-15 (state average is 81%),
• 66% of students received an OP of 1-10 (state average is 54%)
• 22% of students received an OP of 1-5 (state average is 21%).

These senior results along with 2018 producing our best ever NAPLAN results in history, is testament to the incredible hard work from all staff and students, and in particular a reflection of the focussed work we have been doing as a teaching team at Miami SHS over the past 2 years on researched based “High Impact Teaching Practices.” In 2019 this core priority will again be front and centre of Staff Professional Development to ensure we continue to use strategies and consistent pedagogical practices to engage every student in every lesson to maximise their potential.

2019 Student Leader Investiture

On Friday 15 February we held our annual Student Leader Investiture Ceremony where we took the opportunity to officially recognise our Student Leaders for 2019. I have every confidence in their ability to perform in these roles and I know each of them will grow significantly in their leadership capability. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you our Student Leaders for 2019:

Executive Student Leaders

House Leaders and House Vice Leaders

Ambassadors

Band Captains

Portfolio Leaders

Senior Mentors

Cassie Bradstreet, Ned Etherington, Narii Hamill Salmon, Tadgh Hamill Salmon, Samantha Hoffmann, Tazelle Hughes, Ashley Irving, Gemma Laan, Belinda Maher, Kate Mahon, Mickayla Mason, Tahlia Mathiske, Hollie Mokohar, Brooke O’Brien, Natasha Parkinson, Ryan Pfiszter, Jennifer Sakley, Lucy Single and Alex Young

Communication and Parent Engagement

I encourage all families and community members to continue to connect with teachers, Heads of Departments, Deputy Principals and myself, so that together we can continue to ensure that our school and every child reaches their full potential. As a teaching community we are very conscious of the importance that positive relationships between families, students and teachers plays to help foster every student’s confidence and personal and academic growth. Therefore you should by now have received a great deal of personal correspondence from your child’s teachers surrounding their classes to open up the lines of communication early. There will also be additional open forums this year for parents and carers to meet with me to bring your views to me personally in a professional but informal context.

Whilst on the topic of engagement, thank you to all parents and carers who attended this weeks “Parent & Teacher Meet and Greet.” A very big thank you to all of those as well that provided feedback on the event to HOD of Teaching and Learning, Katie Barber who tirelessly coordinated this event. Your feedback will be used to ensure continuous improvement on this event in future years. We will of course continue to offer one on one parent teacher Interviews evenings as well.

On behalf of Miami High staff we look forward to working with you in 2019.

Mrs Sue Dalton
Principal

Dates to Remember

Introducing New and Returning Staff

Our school welcomed new members to the team at Miami State High School at the beginning of 2019. Here is a list of new friendly faces you are bound to meet in our school grounds.

Mathematics Department News

Welcome to 2019!

Students are well settled into their classes with quality learning underway. The 26 hardworking teachers in the Mathematics Department have carried out extensive differentiation analysis of each class so they understand the learning needs of their students.

Maths Club is on again this year. This ever popular program is run every Tuesday afternoon in room D18/19. Please note the time changes for 2019 – 2:30pm to 3:30pm. Here there are many Maths Teachers to support students with homework, study and assessment. We had 17 students in our first week and cater for all grades and every Maths subject. I thank the students for their commitment in attending and our teachers for their dedication.

In Year 11 we have 4 new ATAR subjects underway – Essential maths, General Maths, Maths Methods and Specialist Maths. Along with the teachers of these classes I need to reinforce the commitment to an academic attitude with a hard work ethic. These subjects are extremely challenging and study at home will be vital to success – especially in preparation for external exams at the end of 2020. If a student is feeling overwhelmed we can arrange subject changes. Always be mindful that students study six subjects which all need to be treated on balance in terms of study.

The concept of a Growth Mindset is a major theme here at Miami State High School. Put simply it refers to a special attribute we will build in our students – Things will be challenging and tough at times and I will strive and never give up. Resilience and the desire to succeed are paramount! Students will learn new concepts and problem solving skills and Maths and shall put in the maximum effort in class. In line with a study program at home fantastic results are guaranteed to follow!

Lastly I would like to thank parents and carers for their support working alongside teachers in ensuring students achieve to their full potential in 2019. We look forward to meeting you this year.

Mr Todd Campbell
Head of Department – Mathematics

2019 Dance Excellence

Miami is very proud to offer a wide range of opportunities for students to participate in dance through a number of extra-curricular groups which will rehearse before school this year. The following auditions will occur this term:

The Dance Xtreme Program is designed as an extension program in Dance undertaken during during My Space, sport and before school, enabling students to further develop their abilities, participate in workshops with professional choreographers, showcase Miami High, compete at eisteddfods and foster primary links. Interested students are required to prepare a 1-2 minute audition piece in the genre of their choice that best demonstrates their technical ability and diversity as dancers. Students selected to progress onto the second phase of the audition process will be required to learn a contemporary dance sequence in the choreographic style of the Artistic Director. The third phase of the audition process will require these students to perform the contemporary choreography taught.

No prior preparation is needed for the MGC or MDA auditions. Students will learn a sequence of choreography during the audition and perform for selection.

Please do not hesitate to contact Ms van’t Hof should you require further information.

Ms Miranda van’t Hof
Teacher – Dance

Supportive Education Program News

QCIA Fitness for Life

This term students from the QCIA Fitness for Life class are focussing on improving their strength and fitness. They are accessing Snap Fitness Miami, ACTV gym Burleigh and Putt-Putt Golf on a weekly basis. The program is designed to help the students build their confidence and familiarise themselves with facilities in the local community. So far the students have enjoyed their experiences.

Ms Nicole Locke

Staff welcome

Teacher of the Deaf

After taking time off last year to have my baby boy I’m very excited to be back at Miami in the SEP department supporting our deaf and hard of hearing students. Thank you for all the warm welcomes I’ve received! I’m looking forward to being a part of the team once again and helping raise further awareness of our wonderful deaf community and culture within the school. If you ever need anything, I’ll be based at the SEP on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Wishing you all a happy and successful term!

Ms Clare Best

My name is Jeanene Penney. I am a new teacher in the SEP at Miami High this year. I started my teaching practice on the Gold Coast 18 years ago and have spent 12 years teaching in Japan and the UK. It was while in London that I obtained a postgraduate qualification in SpLD (dyslexia). I am passionate about making learning engaging and challenging for students of all abilities. My other areas of interest include Social Skills and Behaviour. My Year 7, 10, 11 and 12 students have been so welcoming and fun to work with - I thank them for letting me embarrass them a little each day 😊

Ms Jeanene Penney

Miami Students’ Japanese is World Class!

Last year, a group of Miami SHS students began a journey of Japanese language learning that culminated with them taking the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) along with over 500,000 people, from 232 cities in 76 countries around the world.

This group of students spent one afternoon and morning each week, of their own time, doing an extended Japanese course, honing their Japanese skills with the goal of obtaining an internationally recognised certificate in Japanese proficiency. The levels in the test range from N1 (most difficult) to N5 (least difficult) with the N5 being similar to the language learned by the end of year 12 classroom Japanese. Students are tested on their vocabulary, grammar and reading skills as well as listening skills in Japanese language.

Nine students from Miami SHS went to Griffith University Nathan campus on December 3rd and took the N5 and N3 tests, with the following students obtaining their proficiency certificates:

N3

Hana Gomibuchi (Year 10)

N5

Martina Jago (Year 11)
Nina Lane (Year 11)

All students who attempted the test should be applauded and proud of their commitment to Japanese language learning over the past year. They should also be happy that they all obtained a sectional pass in the listening section, which puts them in good stead to take the challenge again next year!

Students who took the N5 (L to R, Belinda Maher, Ryan Cook, Nina Lane, Krystal Miller, Talia Brown, Martina Jago, Matthew Maher, Banjo Owens.

This year we have a class of 27 students looking to improve their Japanese language skills through our Japanese Extension JLPT course and hopefully just as many can take the JLPT later in the year!!

MVP Spotlight

The Miami Valued Partners (MVP) Program is a school initiative that was founded in 2017 to make use of partnerships with local businesses and community organisations. Our school has a proud history of providing students with every opportunity to reach their full potential and we recognise the important contribution that community-minded businesses and individuals can play in supporting our efforts in this regard.

As the MVP program enters its third year we would like to say a big thank you to all those who have been involved. The level of support that the program has received is a testament to the strength of our community.

2019 is going to be a very exciting year for the program and we look forward to both continuing our existing partnerships and fostering new partnerships.

Are you interested being a part of this exciting program?

Miami State High School would like to invite our families and school community to be a part of our Miami Valued Partners (MVP) Program. We are seeking community-minded businesses and individuals to collaborate with our school to:

• Enrich our Junior and Senior curriculums through community business support
• Attract traineeship, apprenticeship and work experience opportunities for our students
• Access intellectual, physical and / or other resources not available within the school
• Create promotional and networking opportunities for community-minded businesses

We would like to invite our school families and community to partner with us as a ‘member’ in this venture by joining the business directory for $50 per calendar year to promote your business. Alternatively you can become a ‘supporter’ for $100 which also includes an invitation to the MVP quarterly events.

In addition to the business directory, there are four other partnership levels available for community-minded businesses to support the school with various return-on-investment opportunities.

For more information on partnership levels and our tailored marketing packages please visit link below or contact me on ccrow73@eq.edu.au.

Catherine Crowe
Public Relations & Events Officer

MSHS Early Departure Policy

We, at Miami State High School, value the education of your students and believe that every lesson is crucial to the academic success of our students. As a result, we wish to remind parents and students of our Early Departure Policy as outlined on page 6 of our Student Planner (see below).

If a student requires an early departure from school, they must:

• Present a note from their parent/carer requesting permission to leave school to their Dean of Students for approval prior to 8:45am
• Once the note is signed, the student takes it to the Student Services office to collect a leave pass
• Please be aware that any other early departure from school needs to be approved by a Deputy Principal

Student Absentee Line

For all student absences please call our direct number on 5554 0334 or email absences@miamishs.eq.edu.au

Leaving Forms

Parents, please note: If you are planning on leaving the school at the end of the year, please contact Christine Nowicki at Student Services on email cnowi1@eq.edu.au or 5554-0333 for the leaving form before the close of term.

Finance Office Trading Hours and Payment Options

Opening Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 8.00am to 12.00pm (closed Friday).

Student Payment Times: Before school or during first break

INTERNET PAYMENT

IN PERSON

BY PHONE

BPOINT

Receipts will always be given for payments made over the counter and will always be available on request for payments made by Internet Banking or Credit Card over the phone

Kellie Johnston
Business Services Manager

Important Information from TransLink

Translink suggests using TransLink’s online journey planner to find the best travel options for your child to travel to and from school. Our helpful tips for journey planning for school services makes planning your child’s school journey even easier.

Alternatively, you can also use the school timetables search if you already know your bus route number.

Travel to school with go card

When your child travels to and from school on public transport with go card, they can save at least 30% compared to the cost of a single paper ticket. That’s in addition to the 50% discount that school students pay compared to adults. These savings quickly add up!

Grab a go card for your child online or at selected retailers today.

Visit the TransLink website for full details on school transport, tickets and fares.

Is your child eligible for STAS?

The Queensland Government provides eligible school students travelling to and from primary and secondary schools with assistance via the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS).

Find out if your child is eligible and beat the rush – apply now and pick up your child’s travel pass from your local operator today!

Kind regards
TransLink Customer Relations

Update your Contact Details

ARE YOUR CONTACT DETAILS UP TO DATE – INCLUDING EMERGENCY CONTACTS?

We have been experiencing a number of students presenting to sick bay with serious illnesses/injuries to warrant the school needing to urgently contact a parent/guardian or an emergency contact but with no success. Could you please make sure that your contact details are up to date and ensure your emergency contacts are available if you’re not able to be contacted. This is especially important for when parents are travelling away during the school term and leaving students with guardians. Please feel free to contact the school either by email admin@miamishs.eq.edu.au or telephoning 5554 0333 to confirm your current details.

Parent Contact

NOTE TO PARENTS/CARERS

The school database program can only allocate ONE address per student. If a student is residing equally between two addresses, the parents/carers must decide which address will be allocated as the main address for the student. The second address can be noted on the student’s hardcopy personal file.

If a second report is required to be emailed, please contact the school in order for us to record this.

Kellie Johnston
Business Manager

RTC SMS Text – Home Communication

To improve the communication between parents and the school, Responsible Thinking Classroom (RTC) SMS text messages will be sent daily for all students referred to the RTC. This will provide immediate feedback for parents allowing them to discuss issues with their student, and if they have any concerns, contact the school for clarification. The following texts will be used:

SMS text for daily RTC referral.

Dear parent, please be advised your student was referred to RTC today. Please discuss with your student and contact Miami SHS 55540333 if concerned.

SMS text for student reaching RTC Level 3.

Dear parent, your student has reached Level 3 on RTC. Please support by discussing this with your student. Thank you from Miami SHS.

SMS text for student reaching RTC Level 5.

Dear parent, your student has reached Level 5 on RTC. Please contact Miami SHS on 5554 0333 to arrange an intervention meeting time asap. Thank you.

SMS text for student reaching RTC Level 7.

Dear parent, your student has reached Level 7 on RTC. One more referral may result in suspension. Your urgent support is appreciated. Thanks Miami SHS 5554 0333.

Please take the opportunity to discuss this with your student, should you receive a text message regarding RTC. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Heath Fox
Head of Student Engagement